Dementia patient rehoused after abuse allegations

Police are investigating possible domestic violence after a witness came forward alleging that an elderly woman with dementia was suffering abuse at the hands of her own relatives.

According to daily Phileleftheros, a person who was a guest at a home last month heard a woman shouting and beating another woman, with the commotion coming out of an adjacent residence. The guest took out a mobile phone and started recording audio, which was later shared with a local media outlet.

In a clip published online, a woman is heard yelling at the patient in the bathroom, telling her to “get in” and shouting obscenities while the sound of slapping can also be heard. It later turned out that the alleged abuser and victim were blood relatives.

Social services and police were notified following the incident, while the senior citizen suffering from dementia was examined by a doctor late last month.

A medical exam on February 23 showed bruises in the woman’s arms and face, while sources told Kathimerini Cyprus there were no indications of abuse.

But social services later removed the dementia patient from her home in order to receive “proper and continuous care and monitoring” in a safe and secure environment.

Police were said to be monitoring the case due to a complaint while the matter is currently under the direct jurisdiction of social services.